Wall Returns to Practice

After playing Tuesday and Wednesday night, the Wizards held practice on Thursday afternoon at Verizon Center to get ready for a tough three game stretch coming up against the Nets, Heat and Thunder.

This was the first time all season in which all 15 players took part in some form of the practice. John Wall and Trevor Ariza moved from non-contact into some contact drills, while Trevor Booker and A.J. Price went through the dummy drills (5 on 0). This is extremely encouraging for a team that is currently struggling to find ways to win games. They have been without Wall for the entire season, while Price, Booker, and Ariza have all missed considerable time with their injuries.

After practice, Randy Wittman addressed the media to give an update on everyone's health status:

Trevor Ariza said that he would like to be able to play on Friday night, but he will see how his calf feels before making that decision. The team may be more precautionary with him, but it sounds like he could be back in the next few days:

Trevor Booker said that he tried to sneak into the contact drills, which should come to no ones surprise, but mostly did non-contact drills as he continues to rehab his sore knee. He still may be a few weeks away from returning, but this is a step in the right direction:

And A.J. Price had his cast removed from his hand and is now taking part in non-contact drills. He said he is just waiting to get cleared by the medical staff, but doesn't expect to be out for much longer:

John Wall was not available for comment, but from all indications it seemed like he was looking like his usual self. His teammates and coaches were enthused and encouraged from what they saw and from an emotional standpoint they all said that Wall gave everybody a lift.

If all goes well, the Wizards are hopeful that they can have a completely healthy roster in the next few weeks, which should certainly help give them a boost on the court.

The Washington Wizards know how to be competitive and make games interesting. They also know how to make things hard on themselves and proved that once again by falling behind by 17-points in the first quarter of an 89-81 loss to the Pacers in Indiana.